Motorists using the 10 km stretch from Vashi Toll Plaza to Belapur along the Sion-Panvel highway will have to drive their vehicles in dark for at least two more months. The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) had taken over the maintenance work of street lights and other electric-related works along the stretch from the Public Works Department (PWD) in December last year and now it says it will take two more months to fix the street lights, as there was some technical problem with the tendering.
While every nook and corner of Navi Mumbai under the NMMC are well illuminated, the defunct street lights of the Sion-Panvel highway from Vashi toll plaza to Belapur are not only posing risks to motorists but also giving a bad look to the city. Motorists using the stretch always complain of defunct street lights and safety.
Motorists driving from Mumbai to the satellite are welcomed by defunct street lights. They face low visibility that poses risks of accidents. Several motorists use the stretch frequently and found it difficult soon after sunset.
Earlier, PWD was maintaining street lights and in December 2021, it transferred the maintenance of street lights to NMMC. The PWD also paid Rs 8 crores to NMMC for the work.
While taking over the maintenance work, the civic chief Abhijit Bangar admitted that the defunct street lights along the stretch in the Navi Mumbai area have been a common problem and motorists often complained to the local body. “Despite the fact that…